1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:03,440 Speaker 1: Hello. I'm Scott Sashnik along with Evan Nolby Williams, and 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:05,920 Speaker 1: this is the Bloomberg Business of Sports podcast, where we 3 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:08,799 Speaker 1: explore the big money issues in the world of sports today. 4 00:00:08,840 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 1: We begin with some bad news Evan shohey Otani of 5 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:16,960 Speaker 1: the Angels, likely looking at Tommy John surgery. We discussed 6 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: at the beginning of the season that this guy really 7 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 1: could excite a fan base of younger kids, particularly internationally, 8 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: and it happened. Shohyotani from the beginning was one of 9 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: those rare superstars that delivers immediately Yankee Stadium. All the 10 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 1: fans wanted him him him both with his bat and 11 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:35,839 Speaker 1: his arm, which is something that we haven't seen in 12 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 1: baseball in a long time, and a lot of experts 13 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 1: thought was not going to be possible to be both 14 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:43,199 Speaker 1: efficient with your bat and effective and then also be 15 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: pitching once every five days. He managed to do that. Uh, 16 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:48,919 Speaker 1: this is a very tough flow, both for the Angels 17 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:53,000 Speaker 1: obviously for himself, but you're right for for baseball and marketing, 18 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 1: and it's outreached two younger and new fans. Uh, this 19 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 1: is a tough one. Let's use your literation. How efficient 20 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: and effective do you see him as sort of a 21 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: face a a roadmap for baseball and how to reach 22 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 1: those younger fans all around the world. I mean, it 23 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:11,039 Speaker 1: certainly gives baseball and an injection of something new and 24 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: fun and different, to the extent of which there are 25 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 1: people out there who don't think of baseball players as 26 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 1: athletes in the same way that your NFL or NBA 27 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:21,679 Speaker 1: players are. It's impossible to look at what Shoho Tony 28 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 1: does it not be tremendously impressed with with who he 29 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:27,120 Speaker 1: is as a as an athlete. Does he have the 30 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:31,120 Speaker 1: Lebron effect? Probably not, But you know this was a 31 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: big boon for baseball. You make seguys so easy when 32 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 1: you say it's not hard to be impressed with him 33 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: as an athlete. Roger Federer, I don't even know how 34 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: many Grand Slams he's got at this point, but at 35 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: this stage of his career, possibly moving from Nikeke to 36 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: Uni Glow. Why why is it just the money that 37 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 1: you think reasons why he doesn't want Roger Federer in 38 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:54,240 Speaker 1: the stable? Still did they not pony up? But if 39 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: you're Roger, you're so associated with Nike and Marquis Brands, 40 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:01,880 Speaker 1: Uni Glow. It's fine, but it's not a sort of 41 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: marquee premium branch. Sure, and we should mention that the 42 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: reports out there that that Roger is going to be 43 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 1: getting thirty million dollars a year over ten years from Uncloud. 44 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:13,520 Speaker 1: I don't know the details of his his Nike agreement. 45 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 1: My gut tells me that that Nike was probably not 46 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: paying that much um. But yeah, this is a this 47 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 1: is a deal that we'll see Federer gotta expect through 48 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:24,959 Speaker 1: the end of his career, although he's managed to to 49 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 1: outperform expectation. Let's flip it then, if you're un Glow, 50 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,120 Speaker 1: do you see Roger having that sort of staying power 51 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:38,839 Speaker 1: when he's no longer winning tennis tournaments. I do, Yeah. 52 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 1: I think that Roger is one of those certainly internationally, 53 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:44,800 Speaker 1: maybe less so in the US, but Uniclow you know, 54 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: Japanese company and is looking internationally. He's one of those 55 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: people that will be forever and investment. Yeah, it will 56 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 1: be recognized. He you know, he We've talked about this before. 57 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 1: He's one of those an athlete that associates himself only 58 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: with the best right and for Uniclow kind to be 59 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: in that that world that Roger Federer World with Rolex 60 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:06,639 Speaker 1: and and the other few companies that he associates himself with, 61 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 1: that seems incredibly valuable for UNI Club. And yes, when 62 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 1: Roger Federer is fifty five, I could see him still 63 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 1: being an effective pitchman for specific companies, just because I'm 64 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: not sold on it. You know, Jordan is Jordan's but 65 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 1: I'm not sold on. We don't see Roger much. And 66 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 1: then he shows up at a at a major here there, 67 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:29,919 Speaker 1: and oh, yeah, Roger Federer, if he's not playing, if 68 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:32,640 Speaker 1: he's not winning, I think that's the American in you. 69 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:34,960 Speaker 1: I think that, you know, I take a pretty good 70 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 1: global view. I know he's I know he's beloved, and 71 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: but there's still something about that. He's there, you see, 72 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 1: you touch, and then all of a sudden he's gone. 73 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: Well we'll see in a couple of years or maybe 74 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 1: in a decade, who knows. All right, let's have some 75 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 1: fun with this one. The Triple Crown. So Justify wins 76 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 1: the Triple Crown. And we had discussed this not not 77 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: not so much. But when you and I found out 78 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 1: that it was the same ors of Justify and then 79 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: restoring Hope sort of the team that the horse that 80 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 1: had the best chance of winning or ruining a triple 81 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 1: crown bid. I was like, wait, is this gonna be 82 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 1: like a NASCAR race where they're going to block the 83 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 1: other horses, They're gonna work in cahots And You're like, 84 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 1: this happens all the time. But I don't know. I 85 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 1: wouldn't be okay with a plan to help Justify win 86 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:25,560 Speaker 1: the race. We watched the race again today in the 87 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:27,720 Speaker 1: office right before coming on. But I don't know, fairness, 88 00:04:27,760 --> 00:04:29,560 Speaker 1: I don't know what I'm looking and I'm not qualified. 89 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 1: I feel the same way there. There is no I 90 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:33,599 Speaker 1: didn't certainly didn't stand out to me as Wow, that 91 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:38,799 Speaker 1: horse Restoring Hope certainly blocking or doing some shady things 92 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 1: does seem as though there is a decent amount of 93 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:43,159 Speaker 1: evidence out there. You know the I saw in the 94 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:46,279 Speaker 1: Washington Post that the owner of Restoring Hope was quoted 95 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 1: as saying he had no idea what the jockey was doing. 96 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 1: This isn't a horse that starts fast. The jockey clearly 97 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 1: took him out very fast. You know that the horse 98 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:57,159 Speaker 1: died at the end. He finished eighth or ninth. I think, um, 99 00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 1: it clearly looked as though the strategy for restoring Hope 100 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: was not one that was gonna win the race for they. 101 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:06,839 Speaker 1: And the question now is, you know, was that intentional? 102 00:05:06,960 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: Did the horse have a bad day, did the jackie 103 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:11,160 Speaker 1: fail to get it under control? There's so many different 104 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: facets here. And I also don't know, and I'm not 105 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 1: sure if you know either, how common it is, you know, 106 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 1: for for owners to have multiple horses and whatever on 107 00:05:20,279 --> 00:05:22,600 Speaker 1: the whole though. You know, there's our second triple crown 108 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 1: and what four years? Is this a good thing for 109 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: horse racing? Because it I'd like to I say, I 110 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 1: say no, I mean, you like this once every x years. 111 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:33,360 Speaker 1: But now it just seems, for lack of a better term, 112 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:35,240 Speaker 1: I don't want to get emails and tweets. That just 113 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:38,360 Speaker 1: seems like it's getting easier certainly. Yeah, and and and 114 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:42,080 Speaker 1: during that long stretch before American Para one, every time 115 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 1: there was a Belmont Stakes where a triple Crown was 116 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:47,160 Speaker 1: on the line, it became a huge spectacle, not just 117 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:50,240 Speaker 1: for horse racing fans, but also for casual fans as well. 118 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:52,440 Speaker 1: I do wonder if, let's say, next year or two 119 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: years down the line, if we have another horse that 120 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 1: wins both the prenkness in the Kentucky Derby. If there's 121 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:59,320 Speaker 1: not going to be that kind of excitement at Belmont 122 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:01,600 Speaker 1: because oh how this happened to have an idea? Great, 123 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 1: let's add another fur longer two you'll have to finish 124 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:06,920 Speaker 1: on the other side of the Islanders proposed arena. Right. 125 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 1: I thought you're gonna say no, no, no, no, Let's 126 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:11,760 Speaker 1: just add another for longer and make it even longer. 127 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:15,480 Speaker 1: Thinking of who knows Lebron had a hand injury in 128 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:18,360 Speaker 1: the NBA Finals. Apparently he punched something after the Game 129 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: one loss. The questions that's fine, like nobody knew he 130 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 1: was secretly wearing a cast when people are looking. The 131 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 1: question is does this have to change in a world 132 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:33,159 Speaker 1: of legalized sports betting, where if you're gonna embrace it 133 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 1: and you're going to take the money, everybody has to 134 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:40,600 Speaker 1: know what's going on with everybody. Yeah, Athlete injuries are 135 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:44,039 Speaker 1: going to be a fascinating kind of upper bottle hockey 136 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 1: upper body which we're not telling you. And if you 137 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:49,680 Speaker 1: look at you know, the NFL, they release those injury 138 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:52,239 Speaker 1: reports on Wednesday, you know, and then again on Thursday, Friday, 139 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 1: and then they get fine for not putting things and 140 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:56,479 Speaker 1: so is that the reason the reason they do those 141 00:06:56,480 --> 00:07:01,080 Speaker 1: reports is that back in the day, gamble syndicates had 142 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:04,719 Speaker 1: people everywhere trying to get you know, ends andretiated with 143 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 1: the locker room trying to figure it out. The NFL 144 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 1: started releasing those injury reports so that teams weren't constantly 145 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: being inundated with shots and transparency role exactly. I do 146 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:18,760 Speaker 1: believe that as sports gambling becomes more widespread and more 147 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:22,320 Speaker 1: legal across the United States, things like athlete injuries are 148 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 1: going to have to be a little bit more transparent, 149 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 1: just because there is this tremendous exposure for people who 150 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 1: know what do you know, Lebron punched a wall after 151 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:31,800 Speaker 1: realizing they had a time out in j R. Smith 152 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: the n idiot thing, and now for the rest of 153 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 1: the series he's playing with the broken, hairy hard. He 154 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 1: did a j R. Smith thing. Sure he didn't do 155 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: an idiot not's anonymous, terrible, terrible, Yeah, but you know, 156 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:46,640 Speaker 1: Lebron's counter argument is if they know I hurt my hand, 157 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:50,679 Speaker 1: they will target my hand, which is a valid argument 158 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:53,480 Speaker 1: because they will. Yeah, no, I mean I again, I 159 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:55,760 Speaker 1: don't know if there's an easy answer here. But but 160 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:58,480 Speaker 1: there's no question that athlete injuries are one of those 161 00:07:58,480 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: things where you can have in side information. You can 162 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 1: have it for a while. This was three games where 163 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 1: nobody really knew. Um, and again who knows how much 164 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 1: it really affected the score of games, etcetera. Um, but 165 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:12,200 Speaker 1: there is going to have to be uh, some increased scrutiny. 166 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 1: And I'm actually curious we haven't talked much about this. 167 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:18,000 Speaker 1: How you think journalists can How do journalists kind of 168 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:19,960 Speaker 1: tow that line? You know, your job as a journalist 169 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:23,880 Speaker 1: is to find out, if you know, yea in the 170 00:08:23,920 --> 00:08:26,160 Speaker 1: World Series game, who's starting game four? They're going back 171 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 1: to the guy who started game one. Journalists across sports 172 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 1: are going to end up with some proprietary information that 173 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:35,320 Speaker 1: is very tradable. Uh. And I am curious who's gonna 174 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:37,560 Speaker 1: be the Woes of the sports betting world? Like who 175 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:40,720 Speaker 1: has that insure? And you could maybe envision a situation 176 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:42,560 Speaker 1: in which someone is willing to pay a guy like 177 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:46,240 Speaker 1: Woes not to tweet it out, but but to pass 178 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: it along as soon as they know it. And and 179 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:52,880 Speaker 1: and companies and newspapers, media organizations, etcetera. Are probably gonna 180 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:55,599 Speaker 1: need to be revising, you know, their employee agreements. I 181 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,240 Speaker 1: would think to cover stuff like this all right, last 182 00:08:58,240 --> 00:08:59,599 Speaker 1: one for you only because you pay a lot of 183 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:01,440 Speaker 1: money to go one of these fancy gyms for your 184 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 1: iron man ridiculousness. Forty Niners were opening forty Niners Fit. 185 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:08,439 Speaker 1: They're partnering with Mark Mastrov Now he was a twenty 186 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:11,200 Speaker 1: four hour fitness owner. We're back in the day. New 187 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:14,080 Speaker 1: facility in San Jose. The Cowboys have one in Frisco, 188 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: The Bears have one. Are you going to a gym 189 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 1: simply because it has the team's name on it? And 190 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 1: are normal fans going to the gym? Or what if 191 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:26,560 Speaker 1: I'm saying, chun, what do you think? I am not? 192 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 1: But I do think that there are people that will, 193 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 1: you know, I mean, this could be like the future 194 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:34,840 Speaker 1: of every product. Right, instead of selling Coca Cola in 195 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:37,160 Speaker 1: New York and San Francisco, they could sell Giants Coca 196 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:40,319 Speaker 1: Cola in New York and and uh, forty Niners Coca 197 00:09:40,320 --> 00:09:42,280 Speaker 1: Cola in the Bay. Was really trying to come up 198 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:45,480 Speaker 1: with a joke about fizz or almost said Giants Coca 199 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:49,280 Speaker 1: Cola in San Francisco as well. But yeah, I know, 200 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 1: I think that this is. This is the kind of 201 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:52,720 Speaker 1: thing that, yeah, certainly there are people out there just 202 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 1: because their favorite football team is the is the brand 203 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:57,360 Speaker 1: name on the gym, might be more inclined to go 204 00:09:57,400 --> 00:09:59,720 Speaker 1: there you need to. I mean if the players go, 205 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 1: which they won't there at the practice facility, but that's 206 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 1: the home run. If the players go and Derek Jeter 207 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:07,440 Speaker 1: had his his gym's here with Master on the twenty 208 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:09,880 Speaker 1: the fitness gyms in New York. I don't know how 209 00:10:09,920 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 1: those did. I mean those have since gone elsewhere, and 210 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:15,200 Speaker 1: I don't think jas are still affiliated with them. But 211 00:10:15,280 --> 00:10:17,280 Speaker 1: the whole notion of a jock is attached to it 212 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:19,440 Speaker 1: or team is attached to it. So I want to 213 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:21,640 Speaker 1: be well, let's say you do three or four events 214 00:10:21,640 --> 00:10:23,760 Speaker 1: a year with you know, a couple of forty niners. 215 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 1: There is that enough members only kind of deal. You 216 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:28,200 Speaker 1: get special access that I could see if you're gonna 217 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:29,840 Speaker 1: do the deal, that'll do it all right. Well, this 218 00:10:29,880 --> 00:10:32,880 Speaker 1: is the Bloomberg Business of Sports podcast. I'm Scott Sashnik 219 00:10:32,880 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 1: along with Vandvie Williams. We're here each and every Monday 220 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:38,360 Speaker 1: and Friday exploring the world of money in sports. As always, 221 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:40,839 Speaker 1: you can catch the show on Bloomberg Radio around the world, 222 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:43,000 Speaker 1: or download the Apple podcast on iTunes.